1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to medical devices and, more particularly, to connectors for intravenous and enteral delivery of medicinal and nutritional flows.
2. Related Art
Fluid delivery systems are known to fill a great necessity for delivery of medicine and nutrients to ill and disabled patients in many settings especially hospitals and health care facilities. For example, in neo-natal units, infants are often fed enterally (e.g., a tube inserted in the mouth or nasal opening (nare) and through the trachea for delivery of the fluid to the stomach or intestinal region of the body) and are also provided medication and other fluids intravenously.
One particular problem includes interfacing differing devices to enable said devices to mechanically couple to deliver a food, sustenance or medicine. For example, formula and breast milk are often delivered by syringe into an enteral delivery system for delivery to the infants stomach. Tragically, however, through too common of oversight, infants are accidentally killed when a syringe with nutritional food is coupled to an I.V. port and injected into the blood stream. Milk delivered to the heart, however, is usually fatal to the infant.
One reason for such mistakes relates to the technology for delivering food and medicine. Too often, syringes that are used for either delivering food to an enteral delivery system may also be used for delivery of medicine or fluid to an I.V. system. Because these syringes are technically compatible with either system, tragic mistakes are possible and may even be expected.
Thus, a need exists for a device that is compatible with common delivery systems to allow such systems to fluidly communicate. A further need exists for fluid communication devices that are operable to provide safeguards to avoid tragic mistakes.